The Sunny Place Bleeds
by ShadowLovely
Summary: They say Homer wrote the Iliad to portray the accurate cost of war. For in the battle between life and death-Light and Darkness, no one wins. Naruto has never been more aware of this as he grieves the loss of his Sunny Place. Naruto/Hinata one-shot


This is a One-Shot with the very strong possibility of turning into a "Turn-Back-the-Clock" novel fic. The story itself is taking its sweet time to spin its tale for me to write so if I do write this into a chapter fiction, it'll be slow going.

After you finish feel free to go to write a review if you think I should continue on and maybe turn this into a "Happy Ever After". I don't know... I kinda enjoy the desolation this one brings..

Anywho, enjoy and feel free to write anything in a review, I'll try to answer your questions as best as I can.

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><p>Carnage was the only way to describe the ruins of the once proud village Hidden in the Leaves. Bodies lay butchered and maimed, the individuals lifeblood spilling unto the summer-green grass weaving a story so tragic it could only ever be written in such pure red. Amongst the desolation, one figure with a shock of blond hair knelt in the ankle deep river holding a cold body tightly against his chest. His notable cerulean orbs shed silent tears as he held fast to the body of the only person to ever tell him she loved him. Time in this long moment, meant nothing, the heat of his body pressed to hers preserved the last remnants of her corpse. It wouldn't be long now, he knew, until the chill of final death entered her body and he was forced to accept the unacceptable truth of his world. There was no cry of outrage, no cursing of Higher Deities for his lot in life, or a wail of such agony it physically hurt to hear. The vocal screams of pain had long since died in the man, slowly, with the death of each piece of his heart ending finally when the reason for its steady tempo breathed her last breath. Sacrificing herself, of course, to preserve his life. It had always been about the preservation of his life, no matter how hard he fought, each and every one of his precious people fell on the blade of an enemy trying to get to him.<p>

He had tried to protect them all of course, but it was near impossible to protect people important to you when they themselves considered you equally important.

The battle—the war— had been won in our Hero's favor.

But the cost?

Kami have mercy on the fallen souls, the cost!

He was all that was left.

The demon brat who was once viewed so unworthy as to live in agreeable civilization was the last surviving member of Konohagakure no Sato.

Surviving because without his Sunny Place he could no longer live.

'_We had a good run, Naruto..'_ The husky rumble of his demon whispered, it was the first time in all his 27 years that his prisoner, the demon lord, had ever addressed his warden by his birth name.

As with all other times before, Naruto queried his demon: "Is there nothing you can do..?" Such brittle hope intoned the timbre of that question, had the Kyuubi been anyone different perhaps he would have felt more than sympathy. But the Kyuubi was the Kyuubi and as such held a demons soul and had no qualms over the 'wrongs' he committed against humanity. Lies would only drive his warden to a path that was to be travelled by no human. '_You know I cannot,'_ Kyuubi whispered, a growl edging his words just so. Every time Naruto asked his help in this matter it grated on the Demon Lords patience more and more. '_It is not for us to meddle in the Order, child.'_ There was a pause as Kyuubi let Naruto digest and comprehend his words again._ 'Release the girl; give her a proper burial next to the rest of your fallen skulk. You still have objectives to fulfill given to you by the Godaime Hokage. Follow them, maybe they might grant you reprieve from the numbness…' _With these last words, the Kyuubi closed his consciousness off from Naruto's leaving the man alone with his tumultuous thoughts.

"Right," He muttered, "objectives…" Still, he made no move to remove his dead love from his arms. He did shift his weight until he was leaning against a nearby tree, his loves broken body resting comfortably in his lap. The symbolism of her broken body reflecting his shattered heart was not lost on him and finally—mercifully—he cursed the Spirit of spirits for taking such vibrant life from him. He cursed every gods name he had ever heard of, then some he wasn't sure even existed. He cursed the elements, the world, the universe. He cursed his weakness, his personality, himself for ever falling in love. And when the grief grew to levels he could no long contain to himself, the world and it's gods…he cursed Hinata herself, his words so broken by wrenching sobs he was nearly unintelligible in his rant against her. How dare she be so caring—so kind, so damnably self_less_ that he couldn't help but fall in love? How dare she be so shy, hiding her determined fiery spirit until only he could bring it out? And dammit to hell and back, but how _dare_ she fall in love with _him!_

Time, as always, passed with nary a glance to the humans it controlled. The sun rose in the east, set at the west thrice and still our hero remained unmoving. In the twice shown-full beauty of the moon and stars our blond hero sat, his whispered nothings heard by no one as he watched—helpless, always helpless—as his love was claimed by rigor mortis. He had laid her on the ground a while ago, maybe when the sun was still shining? He didn't know, the sun meant nothing to him now. It was no longer life, instead a mocking symbol of what the pale eyed woman meant to him. Now he knew, as he lay beside his love on the blood-dry grassy knoll his fingertips brushing her cold face as he gazed beseeching to her peaceful expression. Peaceful in her frozen death because he was alive as she had always hoped. But his silent prayers, his whispered agony and bargaining, did nothing to open her eyes and reveal the white-lavender he so loved gaze at him the way only she could one last time.

"Just once more," He pleaded to a god who would not answer him. For all that he had gone through, didn't he deserve one last lingering moment with her?

The silence of the field was his answer.

The knowledge, the acceptance of this final truth created the last fissure his heart could take.

With the magnificence of an exploding star, his heart shattered.

His sunny place gone, he fell into a black sea, drowning in eternal darkness as the light abandoned him forever.

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><p>To be clear, Naruto isn't dead. Just...heart wrenchingly depressed. Everyone is gone by the time it's just him and Hinata...and when she finally dies well..you'd be pretty desolate too.<p>

As I said above, I'm seriously considering turning this into a novel fiction maybe making it a happy ending for our hero.

I think he deserves one honestly..


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